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exile's review against another edition
4.0
If you came into this thinking "yay, more like Altered Carbon"... well not really. This one is set in a war zone and isn't a detective story. It's not BAD, it's just a completely different story starring the same character.
Some stories take place near a war, and that's the reason for the plot; this one the war is sort of omnipresent and a reminder that our human nature is one of destruction, not discovery.
It *is* hard SciFi however, and my geek for stuff like that is responsible for the fourth star. That and the very "Shadowrun" sort of build-a-team-bankrolled-by-mr-johnson-and-secure-the-hypertech-maguffin plot. Otherwise it's a solid 3-star middle-of-the-road SciFi story.
Some stories take place near a war, and that's the reason for the plot; this one the war is sort of omnipresent and a reminder that our human nature is one of destruction, not discovery.
It *is* hard SciFi however, and my geek for stuff like that is responsible for the fourth star. That and the very "Shadowrun" sort of build-a-team-bankrolled-by-mr-johnson-and-secure-the-hypertech-maguffin plot. Otherwise it's a solid 3-star middle-of-the-road SciFi story.
hughnoble's review against another edition
2.0
I read this hoping for a decent follow up to Altered Carbon, but was disappointed by a very different book.
Altered Carbon introduced the idea of the human mind not necessarily dying with the body (digital human), and with that it explored what would happen if the super rich were able to keep reincarnating themselves whist continually getting richer and more powerful.
How do you keep yourself entertained in a corrupt society when you're 200 years old, have already seen and done everything, and have more money than you could ever realistically spend?
The format it did this in was a detective novel, with an interesting mystery and strong characters. The compelling story, interesting concept, well thought out history, and good characters allowed me to see past some of the books weaker points. Unfortunately this book has all of the weaknesses of the first, but none of its strengths.
Set on a different planet in war time, this book follows Takeshi Kovacs as he leads a team to recover an extra terrestrial space ship. Whilst the first book is a sci-fi detective novel, this one is probably more straight up sci-fi and therefore may appeal more to fans of the genre, but not so much to me.
The digital human concept, whilst present, takes a back seat in this book and doesn't really affect the plot much. The negative points of the last book are still present but without the redeeming elements to make up for it. For example the overly indulgent sex scenes which read like a teenage fantasy by someone who had watched too much porn.
I had high hopes for this series but this book has convinced me not to bother with the next one. I'll keep Altered Carbon on the shelf, as it's still a good concept. But I won't be re-reading Broken Angels.
Altered Carbon introduced the idea of the human mind not necessarily dying with the body (digital human), and with that it explored what would happen if the super rich were able to keep reincarnating themselves whist continually getting richer and more powerful.
How do you keep yourself entertained in a corrupt society when you're 200 years old, have already seen and done everything, and have more money than you could ever realistically spend?
The format it did this in was a detective novel, with an interesting mystery and strong characters. The compelling story, interesting concept, well thought out history, and good characters allowed me to see past some of the books weaker points. Unfortunately this book has all of the weaknesses of the first, but none of its strengths.
Set on a different planet in war time, this book follows Takeshi Kovacs as he leads a team to recover an extra terrestrial space ship. Whilst the first book is a sci-fi detective novel, this one is probably more straight up sci-fi and therefore may appeal more to fans of the genre, but not so much to me.
The digital human concept, whilst present, takes a back seat in this book and doesn't really affect the plot much. The negative points of the last book are still present but without the redeeming elements to make up for it. For example the overly indulgent sex scenes which read like a teenage fantasy by someone who had watched too much porn.
I had high hopes for this series but this book has convinced me not to bother with the next one. I'll keep Altered Carbon on the shelf, as it's still a good concept. But I won't be re-reading Broken Angels.
mellyqueen's review
I loved the first book but couldn't get back into the world of Kovacs. Maybe I left too long a break between stories. Might try to read it again later.
moreyceyer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eacolgan's review against another edition
4.0
I may have actually liked this one better than the first. Takeshi is such a great unreliable narrator, and this chapter of his story was even more intricate than the first. It felt like the early books of The Expanse, the way it dealt with themes of humanity finding its place in the universe alongside individual humans grappling with their own significance, or lack thereof. I'm interested to see how s2 of the show is going to deal with this story given the changes it's made to Tak's backstory with Quell, also.
My only gripe is really the, to me, unnecessary focus on sex / the sexual relationship between Tak and Wardani. Their chemistry was nonexistent (unlike his with Cruickshank, which positively sparkled) and the whole thing felt like including sex to prove the character's machismo and then pasting emotional confusion on afterwards to justify it. But really that was a very small part of the book and not something that notably dimmed my enjoyment.
My only gripe is really the, to me, unnecessary focus on sex / the sexual relationship between Tak and Wardani. Their chemistry was nonexistent (unlike his with Cruickshank, which positively sparkled) and the whole thing felt like including sex to prove the character's machismo and then pasting emotional confusion on afterwards to justify it. But really that was a very small part of the book and not something that notably dimmed my enjoyment.
saeverra's review against another edition
3.0
Did not love it? I only found it engaging once they entered they gate. Once they left it, I disconnected. Much preferred Altered Carbon!
sarahrosebooks's review
DNF at page 184.
I tried, I really tried, but I just didn't like this. I think what convinced me to put this down was the phrase 'pneumatic breasts' during one of the worst sex scenes I've ever read.
I didn't understand what the hell was going on most of the time. Plus, I really don't enjoy war stories. I didn't know who the Kempists were, or what they were fighting for, or who the other side was, and what they were fighting for. I didn't understand the main plot, and what Takeshi and his team were looking for. The whole thing confused me, even after nearly 200 pages.
I should mention, though I say I don't like war stories, what I mean is that I don't like war stories that I don't understand, or that lack that personal element, such as following a character closely through a war. This is a more high end look at things, and the distance from the actual people in the war, despite some of the characters having fought in it, really made it hard for me to get behind it. You are told these people fight in the war, on whatever side they are on, but Tanya Wardani gets fixed with a quick VR session with Takeshi. It just felt very impersonal and detached to me.
In the end, I just did not care enough to continue, and it was starting to feel like a chore every time I picked the book up. So I decided to DNF it. Maybe one day I'll come back to it. Maybe one day I'll read the third book.
This wasn't a patch on Altered Carbon, which I've realised I liked a lot more because of the detective noir feel to it. If the third book is more like that, maybe I'll give it a try.
I tried, I really tried, but I just didn't like this. I think what convinced me to put this down was the phrase 'pneumatic breasts' during one of the worst sex scenes I've ever read.
I didn't understand what the hell was going on most of the time. Plus, I really don't enjoy war stories. I didn't know who the Kempists were, or what they were fighting for, or who the other side was, and what they were fighting for. I didn't understand the main plot, and what Takeshi and his team were looking for. The whole thing confused me, even after nearly 200 pages.
I should mention, though I say I don't like war stories, what I mean is that I don't like war stories that I don't understand, or that lack that personal element, such as following a character closely through a war. This is a more high end look at things, and the distance from the actual people in the war, despite some of the characters having fought in it, really made it hard for me to get behind it. You are told these people fight in the war, on whatever side they are on, but Tanya Wardani gets fixed with a quick VR session with Takeshi. It just felt very impersonal and detached to me.
In the end, I just did not care enough to continue, and it was starting to feel like a chore every time I picked the book up. So I decided to DNF it. Maybe one day I'll come back to it. Maybe one day I'll read the third book.
This wasn't a patch on Altered Carbon, which I've realised I liked a lot more because of the detective noir feel to it. If the third book is more like that, maybe I'll give it a try.
johnbyers1500's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ktjawrites's review against another edition
5.0
Broken Angels throws Takeshi Kovacs into a wonderfully expansive and explosive world.